Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

After landing at Toungup Airfield, a tyre burst. The pilot lost control of the airplane that veered off runway to the left, struck some barrels and came to rest, bursting into flames. Two crew members escaped uninjured while a third was seriously wounded.
Crew:
Lt N. M. Russel, pilot,
Sgt Tom Barry,
F/Sgt Allan Albert Tillott.

Probable cause:

A tyre burst after touchdown.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I off Morgat: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 1, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

L7472

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 1845LT on January 31 on an operation to Brest. While returning to base on the following night, the bomber was shot down by the German Flak. A crew member bailed out but his parachute failed to deploy and he was killed. Later, the airplane crash landed in the sea off Morgat and was lost. A second crew member drowned while six others became PoW.
Crew (61st Squadron):
F/Sgt Stephen Joseph MacLean, †
Sgt Geoffrey Herbert Marshall, †
F/Lt Ronald Duncan Fraser,
Sgt Albert William Hadley,
F/Lt William Hugh Hannigan,
Sgt Brian Henderson Mullen,
F/Sgt William Hugh Shorrock,
F/Sgt Thomas William Walsh.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Brélès: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1942 at 2030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

R5787

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 1805LT on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Blérès. Four crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/O John Robert Bruno Parsons, pilot, †
Sgt William Thomas Holmes, observer, †
Sgt Kenneth William McCaskill, wireless operator, †
Sgt Thomas Arthur Butterworth, air gunner, †
Sgt Robert Victor Griffiths,
Sgt Leonard Wright,
Sgt Reginald Thomas Kindred.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V off IJmuiden: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1942 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

AE649

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

North Coates - North Coates

MSN:

414-3002

YOM:

1941

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF North Coates to search for enemy shipping. While flying along the Dutch coast, it crashed on a German merchant vessel near IJmuiden. Two crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Leslie Walter Jaggard, pilot, †
P/O Hubert Jack Parker, †
Sgt William John Palmer,
Sgt Douglas Sykes.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Brest: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AT149

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

North Luffenham - North Luffenham

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The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Brest. It crashed for unknown reason while approaching the target area, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/O Arthur Norman Mowlam, pilot,
Sgt George James Linegar, observer,
Sgt William Black, wireless operator,
Sgt Clarence James Stringer, wireless operator.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Créances: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AE359

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

North Luffenham - North Luffenham

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The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Brest and it crashed in unknown circumstances in Créances. A crew was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Peter Lawrence Edward Le Queux, pilot, †
Sgt John Knight Barron Laing,
Sgt Roland George Saunders,
Sgt Colin McVicar Smart.

Crash of a Vickers 290 Wellington I into the Mediterranean Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 290 Wellington I

Operator:

Registration:

L4374

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

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The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the Mediterranean Sea, some 64 km northwest of Port Said, Egypt. All four crew members were killed. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Arthur Raymond Batley,
AC1 Herbert Thomas How,
F/Sgt Edmund Ronald Penhale,
LAC Alexander Veith Smith.
Photo: http://www.pewteraircraft.com/RAF/WELLINGTON DWI/Wellington DWI.htm

Probable cause:

It seems that the accident was the consequence of an engine failure in flight.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I into The Channel: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

L7396

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 1850LT on an operation to Brest. While returning to base in the evening and cruising over The Channel about 80 km south of Plymouth, the crew sent a short mayday message then the airplane crashed into the sea. SAR operations failed to find any trace of the airplane and one body was found few days later on a beach on the Scilly Islands.
Crew (61st Squadron):
F/Lt Harry Charles Shaw Page, pilot,
P/O Denys Lowe Atkinson,
P/O Alan Gladstone Burt,
Sgt Thomas Alfred Evans,
Sgt Leonard William Dann,
F/Sgt Harry Edward Turner,
Sgt Ronald Sidney Jones,
S/L Thomas Noel Challoner Burrough.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I in Great Corby: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

T9308

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

414-2343

YOM:

1941

Location:

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The crew was completing a training exercise when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in an open field located in Great Corby, bursting into flames. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Douglas Mcintosh Burgess, pilot,
Sgt John Ralph Vigurs Bones, observer.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I off Aberdeen

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1942 at 1005 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I

Operator:

Registration:

L9581

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth

Location:

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Region:

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The airplane departed RAF Lossiemouth at 0217LT to attack the Tirpitz. While returning to base, it suffered a loss of power on the port inner engine and was ditched some 4 miles off Aberdeen. The crew had been in difficulty for several hours due to severe icing and w/t failure. All crew members were rescued.
Crew:
Sgt J. W. R. Harwood,
Sgt Patey,
Sgt Young,
Sgt Smardon,
Sgt Scott,
Sgt Petch,
Sgt Norbert David Roche, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Emergency landing following loss of engine power.

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